Daniela Peñaloza, mayor of Las Condes, and Juan Carlos Jobet, Minister of Energy and of Mining, announced an agreement with Cerro Dominador whereby the municipality will use 100% clean, renewable energy.
Ms. Peñaloza remarked that “Climate change is one of the most serious threats we are now facing, and our generation has the duty to take concrete action today to fight it. We are therefore proud to announce to our inhabitants and to the country as whole that starting today, Las Condes has become a pioneer in Chile in the use of clean energy.”
The agreement with Cerro Dominador will entail the supply of clean energy to three municipal buildings–the Consistorial Building, the Civic Center (which includes the Municipal Theater), and the Tenis de Alba Park—and 44,569 light posts around the municipality.
Clean energy will help reduce CO2 emissions by 8,000 tons, equivalent to the operation of more than 2,000 cars annually. She added that “through this agreement, we once again confirm the commitment that our municipality has to sustainability and the environment.”
For Minister Jobet, “We all must contribute to Chile becoming carbon neutral so that we can put a stop to global warming. We hope that more municipalities in the country join this initiative and take advantage, like Las Condes has, of the wealth and potential that Chile has for clean energy development. As we use more clean energy in our cities, we will create more sustainable spaces for a better quality of life.”
Another benefit of clean energy is its low cost. According to estimates by the Municipality of Las Condes, it will save close to 500 million pesos annually and most of that money can be allocated to projects promoting sustainability and care of the planet.
The mayor said that the contribution that this initiative makes to care of the planet is fundamental, but there is also great value in an efficient use of public funds. She said “I am calling upon all institutions in the nation, both public and private, to dare to take this step. All mayors in Chile should take a chance on clean energy as they will be helping the planet and, along the way, saving resources that can be used to the benefit of Chilean families. We will be happy to advise them if they need help.”
According to Gustavo Rioseco, Director of Business Development and Energy Management at Cerro Dominador, “adding new contracts with customers gives us the possibility of continuing to think about developing new projects for Chile. We are inspired by 24/7 renewable energy solutions and we are convinced that there is a potential for this. This agreement has motivated us in particular because we are getting closer to people, to inhabitants.”
To conclude, the Las Condes mayor also assured that “we are working on implementing clean energy in more parts of the municipality, like in social housing, tenement housing and other buildings to thus continue to help our inhabitants.”
Clean energy will be supplied to:
- the Consistorial Building at Apoquindo 3400
- the Civic Center and Municipal Theater at Apoquindo 3400
- the Tenis de Alba Park at Camino El Alba 9231
- 44,569 light posts around the municipality
Cost and CO2 reductions:
- Annual savings equal to 21% of total energy spending
- 70 million pesos saved for the three buildings
- 400 million pesos saved on public lighting
- A decrease of approximately 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions
- The CO2 decrease is equal to taking more than 2,000 cars off the streets each year